Regent unable to provide Reykjavik hotel and transfers

[Pcardad]

3 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

@Pcardad, thank you very much for posting the letter. I forwarded it to our TA.

 

As @Bruce61wrote, I am now going to happily anticipate our cruise and stop aggravating myself! 

Good luck and happy cruising! 🙂

[Dolebludger]

Yes, go and have a good time. Just save your receipts for hotel and transports. When you get back, contact your travel insurer and your CC company. Onboard, few things are better than a Regent cruise

[GOARMY]

Well, yesterday received via our TA an offer we could not refuse. Guess we could-have; but have not.

 

Already-booked on Splendor's June 21-July 5 segment ending at Reykjavik. Just-extended for the next 10 days.  

 

Fortunately--and this was the deciding factor in decision--able to maintain Saga Class on a July 16th N/S evening departure flight back to SEATAC. 

 

So, July 15--back at Reykjavik.  Will be seeking an overnight hotel.  Will get a $400.00 credit for the both of us.  

 

Will be seeking guidance from fellow-sojourners who have already jumped through the necessary hoop on finding/booking a downtown-area hotel on their own. Our TA will also assist in this search.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

[Dolebludger]

The confisiog part about this treag]d 

[GOARMY]

Reference Post #253.  

 

Search over.  Downtown Hilton booked for the 15th using Hilton Honors.  

 

GOARMY!

 

[Csphoenix]

I remember reading this post awhile ago. Today I got this email for our cruise departing July 27, 2025

 

I’m very surprised that this is happening one year out. By the way, I have a penthouse suite 😡. I will be contacting my TA. 
 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR PRE-CRUISE HOTEL AND TRANSFERS IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

 

Dear Valued Guest and Travel Advisor,   We regret to inform you that we are unable to arrange your pre-cruise hotel and transfers in Reykjavik, Iceland. This is due to the limited availability of hotels that can accommodate the desired number of guests, while still meeting the required standards that Regent is known for.   We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we have added a credit of $200 USD per guest to your account to cover any expenses you incur arranging your independent pre-cruise travel.    There are many excellent hotels in Reykjavik which you may review and reserve online or by contacting your travel professional.   If you have flights booked through Regent, please contact our Reservations Team at the phone numbers below who will deviate your flights to arrive up to 2 nights before embarkation.   As a gesture of goodwill, we will also apply a non-refundable $200 USD shipboard credit per guest to your onboard account. This can be spent on treatments in Serene Spa & Wellness, Regent Choice shore excursions, in the ship’s boutique, or on a special bottle from the Connoisseur wine menu. In addition, you may also utilize this credit to offset out-of-pocket expenses for any pre-cruise travel arrangements should there be the need.   If you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor or Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Reservation Department.   We look forward to welcoming you aboard Seven Seas Grandeur.   Regent Seven Seas Cruises

[GOARMY]

Csphoenix:

 

See my Post #255--and a couple of earlier ones.  We went through this same "drill", sort-of, with much-less early warning this March in conjunction with Splendor's just-completed June-July Iceland-Greenland-Iceland BtB.  

 

Bottom Line:  Easily--easily--obtained a Suite at Parliament by Hilton Hotel in downtown Reykjavik. Had to "lay-over" one night after debarkation from the second segment to assure getting Saga Class on an Iceland Air July 16th return to SEATAC.  Regent arranged our flights.  

 

Highly recommend Parliament, which is located a half-block from the actual Parliament building--which has an interesting history.  Booked on our own using Hilton Honors. No need for input from our TA.  

 

Excellent service.  Hotel was NOT crowded. Great food.  Quiet. Of course, Regent's $400.00 credit did not cover all expenses.  

 

Regent seems determined to remove itself from the Concierge-level pre-cruise Hotel reservations/transfer-to-ship process.  In our case, the departing airport was way, way removed from downtown Reykjavik.  Parliament Hotel was, however, within three or four miles from the Pier. So, your transit from wherever you book in the downtown area should not be that big a deal. 

 

Your and our experience appears to be part of the new Reality. So, we factor it in when planning getting to and from Regent ships. 

 

Always plan to arrive at the departure Port one, and usually two days prior to sailing no matter what.  Air travel is too unpredictable. 

 

BTW:  Splendor onboard experience was 5+.  

 

GOARMY!

   

 

  

 

  

[flossie009]

Many of the phrases in the Regent communication do not concur:

 

“This is due to the limited availability of hotels that can accommodate the desired number of guests,while still meeting the required standards that Regent is known for.”

versus

“There are many excellent hotels in Reykjavik which you may review and reserve online or by contacting your travel professional.”

 

“we will also apply a non-refundable $200 USD shipboard credit per guest to your onboard account.”

“In addition, you may also utilize this credit to offset out-of-pocketexpenses for any pre-cruise travel arrangements should there be the need”
How does a guest use non-refundable shipboard credit to pay for third party bills (hotels & taxis) on shore ??

 

If we were on this cruise we would collect receipts for hotel and transfer expenses incurred and present them to Regent for reimbursement, since the $200 shipboard credit is referred to as a goodwill gesture only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Scout16]

The problem is that Reykjavik is a small city that has become a major tourist hub and the facilities are limited both in the city and at the airport.  The airport reminds me of the airport in Columbus, Ohio in the early seventies.  They do the best they can, but they are frequently swamped.  I had wonderful tours of Reykjavik on cruises which passed though, but I am not sure if I want to embark or disembark from there or several other locations used by Regent.  I will, it possible, add another segment to avoid embarking or disembarking at ports where I have heard of problems with the limited facilities.  As for Reykjavik I also try not to change flights there.    

[2012_Alaska_bound]

@GOARMY did you do a thread on your trip? Leaving for Iceland/Greenland cruise tomorrow and wondering if you made all your ports? Heard there is a lot of ice around Greenland.

[GMIAC]

Reykjavik is a very charming town. It's the largest city in Iceland, but still very small, with small hotels. The growing popularity of the cruise port, with its huge ships puts a huge strain on these small hotels. When we checked into our hotel last month (a small hotel we found on our own, about $275 for the night), the lobby was PACKED with people and luggage waiting for their transfer to their ship (MCS or Princess; those two ships seemed to follow us around the island during our cruise), and the front desk staff was rather harried. Something's gotta give, and unfortunately Regent's standards apparently cannot be upheld here. To make matters worse, the airport is a good 45-50 minutes from town, kind of in the middle of nowhere. People we talked to on the cruise were being put up at the Hilton Garden Inn near the airport; we saw it from the bus, and it looked very nice (as HGIs go, that is), but there was NOTHING around it. This is one of those ports that isn't a "luxury" destination; those traveling there should keep that in mind and adjust expectations accordingly.

[Dolebludger]

It seems that Regent wants to put all their guests in the same hotel so it can use busses to transport guests in and out. Perhaps it cannot find a hotel large enough to make this possible. But if this is the case, it should have checked the situation before advertising hotel and transfers included. 

[GMIAC]

6 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

It seems that Regent wants to put all their guests in the same hotel so it can use busses to transport guests in and out. Perhaps it cannot find a hotel large enough to make this possible. But if this is the case, it should have checked the situation before advertising hotel and transfers included. 

Of course they should've but things change fast (especially in the last couple of years since COVID and the re-emergence of travel), and they publish their offerings years into the future. Things are subject to change, and this destination in particular is the perfect storm of demand outstripping supply. 

[DaveA]

1 hour ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

@GOARMY did you do a thread on your trip? Leaving for Iceland/Greenland cruise tomorrow and wondering if you made all your ports? Heard there is a lot of ice around Greenland.

A couple of us have posted reviews of the Splendor 15-25 July trip. We were unable to visit any of the four planned Greenland stops and had a long trip to Nuuk through days of thick fog instead. Hopefully more ice will have melted by now and you will be able to get in to the ports.

[Csphoenix]

6 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

It seems that Regent wants to put all their guests in the same hotel so it can use busses to transport guests in and out. Perhaps it cannot find a hotel large enough to make this possible. But if this is the case, it should have checked the situation before advertising hotel and transfers included. 

Exactly!

[Csphoenix]

13 hours ago, GOARMY said:

Csphoenix:

 

See my Post #255--and a couple of earlier ones.  We went through this same "drill", sort-of, with much-less early warning this March in conjunction with Splendor's just-completed June-July Iceland-Greenland-Iceland BtB.  

 

Bottom Line:  Easily--easily--obtained a Suite at Parliament by Hilton Hotel in downtown Reykjavik. Had to "lay-over" one night after debarkation from the second segment to assure getting Saga Class on an Iceland Air July 16th return to SEATAC.  Regent arranged our flights.  

 

Highly recommend Parliament, which is located a half-block from the actual Parliament building--which has an interesting history.  Booked on our own using Hilton Honors. No need for input from our TA.  

 

Excellent service.  Hotel was NOT crowded. Great food.  Quiet. Of course, Regent's $400.00 credit did not cover all expenses.  

 

 

GOARMY!

   

 

  

 

  

Every Hilton hotel is sold out for the dates in July! I made reservations at another hotel so I have something. Isn’t it incredible everything is sold out one year from now?

[rcandkc]

I’ve been to Reykjavik a couple of times.  I’m glad my next time 2026 I’ll be passing through. 

[Dolebludger]

Isn't Reykjavik a fairly new embarkation port for cruise lines? I don’t remember cruises from/to there except in the recent past. Back six or seven years ago we spent two nights in a boutique hotel there, taking advantage of Iceland Air’s free stopover policy, on the way to a river cruise out of Amsterdam. The hotel was small but nice, and a bit quirky. But it wouldn’t hold all of Regents guests. Too small. Our TA set us up with a guide for a one day tour, and with a nice Icelandic couple who prepared a nice dinner for us in the local style. I don’t recall seeing any hotels in Reykjavik large enough to hold all of Regent’s guests concierge and above. The main problem I see with Regent backing out on the hotel and transfer deal is that they may not be offering enough money/credit to guests affected. 

[loriva]

3 hours ago, Csphoenix said:

Every Hilton hotel is sold out for the dates in July! I made reservations at another hotel so I have something. Isn’t it incredible everything is sold out one year from now?

 

Not sure they are sold out.  I don't think the dates are posted yet.  Looks like they are only showing availability through the end of May.  Try looking again in a month or two to see if additional dates are available to book.

[GOARMY]

A few thoughts upon reviewing recent Posts:  

 

Did not do a Real Time Thread regarding either the first June 21-July 5th segment; or the second July 5-15 follow-on segment while circling Iceland only. 

 

Ice in fjords resulted in canceling two of the Greenland stops. Those would have required tendering. An extra day/overnight as I recall at Nook, Greenland.  Unexpected delight. Pleasant city with three stoplights.  Take a tour in the local area, if you get the chance. Then, an extra day(s) at sea while transiting back to Reykjavik allowing timely start for the next segment.

 

Overheard several passengers complaining to the Captain while at Receptions as to why we didn't just sail back to Reykjavik--arriving a day or two early.  Simple answer:  No Pier space.  Splendor's allotted docking time was what it was.  Captain did go on the general Public Address system to reiterate why we could not dock earlier. 

 

No surprise because noted while at the Reykjavik Pier area:  Really BIG cruise ship (or two) always present.  That's a lot of people being dumped into the city, either coming or going.  We noted a constant but modest, flow of cruisers (probably with other Lines) while relaxing at our hotel. 

 

As to collecting receipts to substantiate expending funds well in excess of the $400.00 Credit allotted to us:  Did save receipts; did communicate with our TA upon return whether it would do any good to submit these to Regent for consideration.  Answer was No.  TA had already reviewed this situation with Regent concerning other clients who had the same experience. Regent was standing pat. 

 

Do not plan on returning to Reykjavik in the near future incident to beginning another cruise segment.  However, had a great time while aboard Splendor; and our extra day at Reykjavik was well-spent walking in the area and enjoying the wonderful weather. 

 

Also, the Airport Lounge was open.  It had not been when we transited (pre-Pandemic) through Reykjavik while returning from European cruises.  The general Airport passenger area remains too small to handle heavy traffic during the Summer months.  The Lounge was a welcome refuge for a few hours before having to run the gamut, again, while boarding a shuttle bus and proceeding at a snail's pace to the Iceland Air flight.

 

GOARMY!

 

  

[rcandkc]

2 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Isn't Reykjavik a fairly new embarkation port for cruise lines? I don’t remember cruises from/to there except in the recent past. Back six or seven years ago we spent two nights in a boutique hotel there, taking advantage of Iceland Air’s free stopover policy, on the way to a river cruise out of Amsterdam. The hotel was small but nice, and a bit quirky. But it wouldn’t hold all of Regents guests. Too small. Our TA set us up with a guide for a one day tour, and with a nice Icelandic couple who prepared a nice dinner for us in the local style. I don’t recall seeing any hotels in Reykjavik large enough to hold all of Regent’s guests concierge and above. The main problem I see with Regent backing out on the hotel and transfer deal is that they may not be offering enough money/credit to guests affected. 

We flew to Rekyavik in 2017 for our first Iceland cruise.  Regent had hotel for us.  We have been there again but just flying out. 

[rcandkc]

2 minutes ago, rcandkc said:

We flew to Rekyavik in 2017 for our first Iceland cruise.  Regent had hotel for us.  We have been there again but just flying out. 

I won’t fly into or out of Rekyakik again. 

[labonnevie]

Glad we have been to Rekyavik, in 2011, doesn’t look like we’ll be returning. 
Spent the day touring with a former high school exchange student, from the early 1960’s and his wife. It was a terrific, memorable day. 

 

[Bruce61]

We had already booked hotel accommodations before the hotel fiasco arose.  Changed hotels based on recommendation of friend.  Reykjavik was extremely expensive but we are glad for our two advance days there.  Saw what there was to see and no need to go back. 

[loriva]

7 minutes ago, Bruce61 said:

We had already booked hotel accommodations before the hotel fiasco arose.  Changed hotels based on recommendation of friend.  Reykjavik was extremely expensive but we are glad for our two advance days there.  Saw what there was to see and no need to go back. 

Which hotel did you end up at?  Would you recommend it?